By far the oddest moment at the event was when Summers had the opportunity to ask Dill a question, and rather than challenge her on energy or environmental issues (the intended subject of the debate), he instead asked whether she agreed with Obama's timetable for getting out of Afghanistan, where Summers, a Navy reservist, served as a public-affairs officer in 2010. (Dill does agree with Obama.)

Surprisingly not much mention was made of recent TV and radio ads, purchased by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that question King's involvement with and profits from wind-energy development. Lucky break.

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE | July 24, 2014 When three theater companies, all within a one-hour drive of Portland, choose to present the same Shakespeare play on overlapping dates, you have to wonder what about that particular show resonates with this particular moment.

CHECKING IN: THE NEW GUARD AND THE WRITER'S HOTEL | July 11, 2014 Former Mainer Shanna McNair started The New Guard, an independent, multi-genre literary review, in order to exalt the writer, no matter if that writer was well-established or just starting out.

NO TAR SANDS | July 10, 2014 “People’s feelings are clear...they don’t want to be known as the tar sands capitol of the United States."